


The Visitor

by basicallyinsanedog



Category: The Nightmare Before Christmas
Genre: Crushes, Crying, Embarrassment, F/M, Friendship, Kissing, Love, Regret, Running Away
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:26:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24462733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/basicallyinsanedog/pseuds/basicallyinsanedog
Summary: **TAKES PLACE BEFORE THE MOVIE**Jack finds Sally after she runs away and let’s her stay for the night
Relationships: Sally/Jack Skellington
Comments: 18
Kudos: 63





	1. Tears of Doubt

**Author's Note:**

> Just want to give a reminder so that there’s no confusion:
> 
> THIS COMES BEFORE THE MOVIE!!  
> Thanks

Chapter One  
Tears of doubt

It was a quiet, warm evening in Halloween Town. Sally could hear the soft noise of leaves blowing through the wind as she watched crows fly through the sunset. She sighed, letting one of her hands drape down the outside of the window, while resting the other calmly on the sill. Her scarlet red hair blew gently in the breeze, and she could feel the cool air on the back of her neck. It was very peaceful.

Sally may be stuck up in her tower like she usually is, but she wasn't going to let that ruin her evening. Fortunately, It wasn't a problem to open her window, since the doctor always forgets to lock it.  
She just needed some fresh air after a long, hard day of nothing but work and chores. Often, staring out the round window in her room was her only escape from the prison she's forced to reside in. The tower. 

The doll sighed once more, letting her eyes naturally shift from gazing at the sunset, over to that one building she found herself looking at all too often: The Skellington Manor. Home of none other than the Pumpkin King himself, Jack Skellington. A blush formed on her cheeks that spread across her nose. She could see him up there, in his observatory, pacing around like he usually is, with his hands behind his back. 

Sally had realized her feelings for him a long time ago. It was strange to think about...feelings...but, they were there nonetheless. She was just glad that her friend didn't seem to notice. The last thing she would want is for Jack to think of her as just another one of his "admirers". She didn't want that. She wanted to be friends with him. And she was glad they were- well, mostly. The only times they were really able to talk would be if Sally escaped from the tower- something she was still a bit uncomfortable doing. But, if the tower ever became too claustrophobic, which it did, then breaking the rules suddenly didn't sound so bad. 

She gazed up at the figure pacing around in the tall building, wondering what he was doing. What he was thinking. She closed her eyes.  
'Jack....'

Thump Thump Thump

Three loud knocks on her medal door, followed by a raspy voice from the other side.  
"Sally? Are you in there? I'm coming in."

The Ragdoll gasped, quickly leaning out the window and pulling it shut. She then darted over to her bed, sitting down and folding her hands neatly on her lap.  
She heard the lock come off her door, and in a few seconds, it opened, revealing a not-so-thrilled looking Doctor Finkelstein. He wheeled over to her.  
Sally could see a few books placed on his lap, but she wasn't able to make out what was on the covers.  
His eyes darted over her, eyeing the Ragdoll up and down while she sat there uncomfortably, hoping she didn't appear too suspicious. 

"What were you up to, Sally?" He asked. She fiddled her hands nervously, glancing back towards the window.

"Oh....Just....uh..." She tried to think of an excuse, quick. Her eyes searched frantically around her room, noticing the unfinished dress lying on her table.  
"...Sewing..?" She lied. 

Unfortunately, the Doctor must have heard her tone of voice, as well as seen her glance out the window, because he looked over there himself, immediately noticing the view. He could see Jack up in his tower. He rolled his eyes. 

"Don't lie to me, Girl!" He snapped. "You were watching Skellington again, weren't you?!"  
Sally blinked. The reddish tint came back to her nose as she played shyly with her hair. How did he....?  
She didn't want to lie again...but it would be embarrassing to admit! However, he was already onto her, so she may as well come clean.  
"Uh..w-well..I....I did..see him up there..." She answered, biting her lip. Doctor Finkelstein shook his head disapprovingly. 

"You need to let this nonsense go, Sally! Do you know how often I find you staring at him from your window!?"  
"Oh, I can't help it, Doctor!" Sally's eyes went back over to the window. "I...I love him.."  
"I KNOW you do! But you need to FORGET about it!" He huffed. "And the sooner you do, the better! You're just going to get your heart broken like EVERY other female in this miserable town!" Sally frowned, looking away.  
The doctor sighed, taking a moment to calm down before wheeling himself over and placing the books on the bed next to Sally.  
"Here. I brought these for you. Some more subjects for you to study. Some Algebraic concepts and...the scientific method." He pushed them towards her, then turned around, moving back over towards the doorway. "Get to work now, my dear. I'll be back to check on you before I head to bed." He opened the door, but paused before leaving. He turned to face her one last time.  
"Sally...I mean it when I say that you need to forget your feelings for that skeleton. I don't want to hurt you, but, you need to hear the truth. Jack doesn't have time for you, and the probability of him sharing the same love for you as you do him just....isn't there. If you keep chasing after him, you're going to end up hurt."  
Sally didn't reply. She just stared at the floor. The doctor frowned.  
"I'll be back shortly.." He finished, and with that, he left, shutting the door loudly behind him. 

Sally didn't move. She sat for a few moments in nothing but silence. There was an ache in her heart that wouldn't go away. The doctor's words stung her badly- because she believed him. She believed that he was right. That Jack was much too busy for her. That there was no way he could ever feel the same.  
Her lips began to quiver. The more she thought about it, the more upset she became. She felt something wet on her face, and she reached up to wipe it off. A tear.  
'I was foolish...utterly foolish for thinking I ever had a chance with someone...like Jack....'  
More tears. Sally was fully crying now, and she felt no reason to stop. She angrily shoved the books onto the floor, then lied down in her bed, sobbing into her pillow. But no matter how hard she cried, or how many tears she wept, the pain wouldn't go away. And the sad thoughts would not cease.

——

Sally cried for what felt like hours, but she knew it hadn't been that long. Even once her system was all out of tears, it still felt like someone had cut her phantom heart into a million pieces. And in a way, they did.  
The Ragdoll stood up and brushed her dress off, as well as smoothed down her hair. She was still sad...but there was something else there too. Sally was angry. Who was Doctor Finkelstein to tell her that she should give up on her crush? She was in a perfectly good mood before he showed up! Why did he always ruin these things?!  
'He may be my creator, but that's about it! All he did was show up to my room to tell me that I should stop fawning over the one I love so dearly....and then he gave me more WORK!!'  
She angrily kicked one of the books as hard as she could. It slid across the floor and hit the wall right underneath the window. She crossed her arms and huffed, sitting back down on her bed. 

Her eyes traveled around her room while her head fuzzed. Sally knew she should probably study like she was told to, but that was the last thing she felt like doing at this moment. Her eyes soon came to the book she kicked, before shifting upwards until she was staring at her window.  
The want to escape the tower suddenly hit her like a truck.  
She got up slowly, and made her way across the floor to the window, reaching up to wipe her eye, which was still damp from her tears.

It was dark outside now, as the sun had already set. Sally wasn't sure what time it was, but she didn't care. She didn't care if the doctor came to her room and found her missing. She didn't care how much trouble she'd be in when she got back. She didn't even care if it meant she had to sleep on the street. She just needed out.  
Carefully, she opened the window, peering down at the ground below. This wouldn't be the first time she jumped from this specific place, but, the impact of hitting the ground was something to get used to. Not that it hurt her, it was just, a bit of discomfort. Especially since her limbs usually came detached on impact.  
After making sure she had a spool of thread in her pocket and a needle tucked behind her ear, she took a deep breath, preparing herself.  
For a second, she hesitated, but one look at the dark, metal, closed in, lonely, cold room behind her was enough. She turned around, and jumped. 

The fall was exactly how she remembered and exactly what she expected. Only a mere second after hitting the ground, Sally opened her eyes and sat up. Her left arm had come off and her right leg detached from the knee. After quickly sewing herself back up, she tucked her needle back into place and stood up. With her hands behind her back, she slowly wobbled down the familiar path, unsure where she was going, but letting her feet take her there.

——

She hummed a sad toon as she went along. The atmosphere was very eerie, as it typically would be this late in Halloween Town. The air was cool, and there was a light breeze still that pushed softly against the hair on her back.  
Sally was very grateful to be outside. It felt like a major relief. Several weeks had gone by since she last escaped, anyway. Taking in a breath, she continued on.

Though she wasn't walking for very long, or very far. She began dragging her hand along the wall as she went, only stopping when the wall suddenly turned into a gate. A rather...familiar gate, with a pumpkin shape on display at the top. She looked up.  
Sure enough, her feet had taken her exactly where she could've guessed they would. The home of Jack Skellington.  
It came as no surprise to her that she ended up here.  
After what the Doctor had said, she wanted nothing more than to call out to Jack, run into his loving arms and hold him in a tight embrace telling him how much she loved him, and prove Finkelstein wrong by listening to Jack say that he feels the same.

But she can't.  
That would never happen.

Sally's heart began to hurt again, and she tried to think of something else.  
Every single one of her leaves was aching, telling her to run through that gate and up the stairs. She wanted to ring his doorbell. She wanted to see him.  
And yet she stayed put.  
The lights in his house and observatory were both off. He must have been in bed by now. The last thing Sally wanted to do was disturb him...some friend she would be.  
Her eyes were glued to his home, her feet stuck to one single spot on the ground. She sighed, resting her body against the gate.

"Oh, Jack..." she cooed, "Oh, how I wish things didn't have to be this way. I wish you knew how miserable I am without you. You're the only one who's ever made me feel more than empty in my sad, pointless existence. If only I could tell you, my dearest Jack. Tell you how much you mean to me. Tell you....how much I love you..." 

She yawned as she finished her sentence, sliding down the gate until she sat on the ground. She placed a hand on her chest where her heart would be.  
The moon was high above her in the sky now, and it was getting very late. She was tired.  
After one last glance back up at his observatory, the doll laid her head back, closing her eyes. A single tear ran down her face as she slowly began to drift off to sleep.

——

Despite every light in his home being off, Jack Skellington was very much awake. He was laying in bed, on his side, staring blankly into the darkness. His loyal pup Zero was sound asleep in his own bed a few paces away, but Jack was having some trouble.  
Their last Halloween had truly been their greatest- everything went significantly better than planned. As good as that was, this meant that there was even MORE pressure on the King to try and top it. Which he was finding very hard so far.  
Everyone is always expecting the best from him, and it was his duty as king to make sure that every Halloween was even more horrible than the previous ones. But Jack's mind was really drawing a blank today, and he was now losing sleep over being counterproductive.  
His skull flew angrily off his pillow.  
"GAH! This is HOPELESS!"  
Zero yawned from his bed, blinking his eyes open to gaze at his master. Jack rubbed his eye sockets.  
"I'm not going to get any sleep like this...and a lack of sleep will only make things worse for me tomorrow..." He threw the blankets off him and stood up, stretching.  
"Maybe a short walk will do me good...the night air might clear my skull..."  
He trudged into his closet to change out of his nightclothes and into his regular suit- just in case he came across anyone else who might be out. Most people weren't but, you never know. 

Sighing, we walked down his staircase towards the front door. Zero came up behind him.  
"....arf..?"  
"Don't worry, Zero" he patted his head. "I won't be gone long.."  
And with that, Jack opened his door, and headed off.

But he didn't get very far.  
He passed through his gate with ease, and paused, taking a moment to adjust his coat sleeves, when movement and a flash of red in his peripheral vision caught his eye. He turned his head to look.  
His eye sockets widened as he saw the small, huddled up, sleeping figure of one of his closest friends, on the ground next to his gate.

.....Sally?


	2. A Night In His Home

Chapter Two  
A night in his home

Jack stared down at the sleeping body, his skull pounding with confusion. He had a million questions.  
'Is...is that Sally? What's she doing here? Why isn't she home? Surely, she must be cold!'  
The skeleton glanced around, not totally sure what he should do. He can't just leave her like this! She'll freeze! Besides, no one should have to sleep outside on the streets. He turned around, looking in the direction of Finkelsteins tower before turning his gaze back to Sally.   
'Alright...I'll carry her back home. I can't let her sleep out here in the cold, on the ground. I'll just have to ask her tomorrow what she was doing.' Jack decided. He moved forward, crouching down on one knee in front of her. He slipped one arm around her back, placing a hand on the side of her shoulder, and placed his other hand on the inside of her knees where her legs were neatly folded. He tightened his grip, about to pick her up, when suddenly Sally's eyes shot open.

They stared at each other for what would be the longest ten seconds of their undead lives, both of them frozen.

Jack blinked in surprise and quickly let go of her, releasing his grip on her arms and legs, and moving back a bit. He scratched the side of his skull awkwardly.  
"Oh, Sally! I apologize, I thought you were asleep..."  
A red tint appeared on Sally's face as she sat up straight. She looked shocked and...a little embarrassed.  
"Oh....it's alright." She hesitated before asking, looking away shyly, "...what were you doing...?"  
"Erm...well, I was just going to bring you back home, so that you'd have a better place to sleep." He tilted his head at her. "What are you doing out here this late?"  
Sally looked down at the ground. The blush across her nose darkened as her hand crept up to play with her hair. She bit her lip. "I...I was just...t-taking a walk and..got a little tired is all. So I sat down to rest.." she told him, which wasn't entirely false. Jack frowned at her. He could tell there was more to this, something that she wasn't telling him, but he decided not to pry. After all, if she wanted to talk about it , she would have told him.  
After a moment, he nodded, standing up off the ground and brushing himself off. He looked back at his friend. "Well, Sally, I don't think it's a good idea to rest here. It's already chilly, and it's only going to get colder." He held his hand out to her, which she took after hesitating a second. He helped her to her feet. "I'd be happy to walk you back to the towe-"  
"-No!"   
Sally shouted, interrupting him. The skeleton blinked, a bit surprised that she raised her voice like that. The ragdoll slapped a hand over her mouth, before removing it and attempting to correct herself.   
"I-I mean...I...I don't want to go back to the tower..."  
"You don't?"  
She shook her head, looking back down. "...no.."  
Jack placed a finger on his chin in thought. He was a bit confused, but he understood well enough. He knew Sally wasn't entirely happy where she lived, although he didn't have all the details. But he could tell by the way she was standing, staring down at the ground with her shoulders slumped, a frown on her ruby lips, and her fingers intertwining each other behind her back, just the thought of going back there was upsetting her. Jack wasn't going to force her to do anything. Finally, he nodded.  
"Alright. I understand." Sally looked up at him as he continued. "But, like I said...I can't let you sleep out here on the ground." Jack's sockets fell onto his own house. "- you're more than welcome to come stay with me, if you'd like." 

Sally's eyes widened and the red on her face darkened yet again. She looked up from the ground, just barely meeting his gaze.  
"With....y-you?"  
The skeleton nodded. Sally placed a hand on the side of her face. She could feel the heat just from the touch. "O-Oh...no, Jack..that's okay. I-I don't want to intrude..."  
"Not at all, Sally! I'm inviting you. Besides, you don't really have much of a choice." Jack put his hands in his pockets. "Like I keep saying, you can't spend the night out here. So it's either with me, or...the tower."   
She bit her lip again.   
"Are....are you sure?"  
"Of course."  
Sally turned around and gazed at his house. She could feel a thumping against her chest. Her fingers playing shyly with her hair, she turned back to face him after a second.  
".....Okay, J-Jack....I guess I can...stay with you...."  
The skeleton smiled happily, looking delighted that she had accepted his offer. Jack walked over to the gate, opening it and motioning for his friend to go inside. "Sounds like a plan, Sally. We may as well head in now, it's getting late and there's no point in hanging around here. Besides..." he paused as she walked past him and stopped at the bottom of the stairs. He shut the gate and quickly caught up to her, extending his arm, which she took, to help her up the stairs. "...you look tired"

——

Sally's heart thumped in her chest as Jack opened the door and they both stepped inside. The ragdoll had expected to be outside his home when she left her tower earlier that night, but never could she have imagined she would be standing inside it. She didn't really know what to think. His home was as beautiful as she would have imagined. She blinked after him as he began walking down the hallway.  
"If you'll just give me a few moments, I'll go get the guest room cleaned up, then you can-" Sally cut him off.  
"-Oh, no, Jack. It's fine. I'll just sleep on the couch if that's alright..."  
He stopped and turned around. "...Are you sure? I'd want you to be comfortable."  
Sally blushed again, nodding slowly. "Yes..I'm sure, it's fine. You're already doing more than enough by letting me sleep here...I appreciate it."  
Jack flashed a smile at her before turning around and motioning for Sally to follow him. He led her into the other room, there was a large couch off to the side, with a small wooden coffee table sitting in front of it. Jack moved a chair out of the way so that she could get to it.  
"Well, this is it, then...if you're really sure you're okay with sleeping here?" She nodded. He sighed. "Alright. If you'll just give me a moment, I'll go grab a pillow and a blanket for you." Sally nodded once more, and Jack turned, leaving the room.  
Sally took this time to look around and admire her surroundings. The wooden walls and floor were both a smooth and rich brown color, with the walls being a shade or two darker than the floor. He had strange decorations up, dark swirly things with etched designs in them. She sat down on the couch. It was a very dark purple color, almost brown looking in the dark room. She ran her fingers along the cushion. It was smooth, but not very soft. It might not be the most ideal place to sleep, but it will do. She didn't want Jack to have to go to the trouble of cleaning an entire room just so she could stay here one night! That would be pointless.   
A glowing orange color suddenly caught Sally's eye, but she could've guessed what it was before she turned around. The glowing nose of Jack's dog.   
"Arf!"  
"Oh! Hi, Zero!" She smiled, patting the dog on the head. He barked again and licked her hand once before floating forward and settling down next to her on the sofa. She continued petting him.  
"It's been awhile since I've seen you, hasn't it, boy? How are you?"  
Zero yapped in response, and Sally giggled. She moved her hand to scratch behind his ear, and he rested his head against her leg and closed his eyes. Sally yawned. "Yeah...I'm tired too"

A few silent moments went by as the ragdoll sat there on the couch petting Zero, until the sound of footsteps caught her attention. Sally turned around just in time to see Jack open the door and re enter the room. He was holding a pillow and blanket in his hands, just as he promised. They were black in color, but the blanket had orange ruffles along the bottom.  
"-here we are! I apologize for the wait, Sally. I had some trouble remembering where these were..."  
He placed the blanket down next to her and the pillow on top of it. Sally smiled up at him, feeling the heat return to her face.   
"Oh, it's alright, Jack. And...thank you.."   
The skeleton nodded. "Youre very welcome. Now, I'll leave you to get settled while I go up to get ready for bed myself. I'll come back to say goodnight to you then. Does that's sound alright?"   
"Yes...that's fine..."  
Jack smiled. "Marvelous." He patted his leg twice. Zero's nose lit and he lifted his head, blinking a few times. "C'mon boy. We're going upstairs now."   
Zero yawned, smiling. He gave Sally a lick on her hand once before getting up and floating over to his master. Jack turned to leave, walking to the door. He opened it, but paused. He turned back to his friend.   
"....by the way, Sal, please, let me know if you need anything, okay? It's no trouble at all."   
She nodded again. "Okay, Jack..I will.."   
"Alright then. I'll be back in a bit."   
And with that, he left the room (followed by his ghostly little pup), and the door shut with a click behind him. 

Sally sighed, closing her eyes momentarily. The ends of her mouth curled into a smile as the blush on her face darkened. Jack was being way too nice to her. What did she do to deserve his friendship? She hadn't even done anything for him, and here he was providing her with a room to sleep in and a comfortable pillow and blanket to go with it. Not to mention, on top of all that, he also said that if she needed anything, he'd gladly get it for her. Her heart swelled with happiness and gratefulness. How could the doctor possibly expect her to not be in love with him?   
She adjusted the pillow so that it was propped up against the arm of the sofa. Then she spread out the blanket. The ends of it were falling off the side of the sofa; it was definitely big enough. Sally kicked off her shoes, and crawled underneath it, resting her head on the soft surface of the pillow, pushing her hair back a bit. She sighed once more, closing her eyes. Only one thing on her mind.  
'Jack.....'

A few minutes went by as Sally laid there silently in the darkness. She was almost drifting off to sleep when she heard three knocks on the outside of the door. She sat up.   
"Sally? Are you still awake?...May I come in?"  
She relaxed, hearing Jack's soothing voice come from behind it. She called back to him.   
"Yes, Jack, I'm awake! You..can come in..."   
Sally's smile came back as the door opened, and Jack stuck his head inside. Even though she had to squint to see him in the darkness, it really made her heart soar to see that he had come back like he said.   
"Are you comfortable?" He asked. She nodded.   
"Oh, yes.." She brushed her hand along the blanket. "These are perfect, Jack. Thank you."   
"It's no problem, Sally. Now, before I head to bed, is there anything else you need?"   
She thought for a second, but shook her head. "No thank you. I'm good for now. I'm..... just going to sleep now, I think..."   
"...alright. Well, don't hesitate to come and get me if you need anything, okay?"   
"....okay...I will...I-I don't know how to thank you, Jack."  
"Please, there's no need. It's my pleasure." He bowed a little, turned to leave, then paused, turning back around to face her one last time. "...Goodnight, Sally."  
Her face flushed again at the tone of his voice. It was...different "....Goodnight.." she replied.  
She could see the ends of his mouth turn into a smile through the darkness of the room. And with that, he nodded once, and left. 

Sally laid back down, the heat still plastered all over her stitched face. Smiling warmly to herself, she brought the covers up to her nose. She whispered into the air, knowing no one would hear her.   
"Goodnight, Jack. I love you..."

——

Despite the lovely mood Sally had been in when she went to go to sleep, she was finding the task rather difficult. She came to the conclusion that it was most likely due to the fact that the sofa....wasn't that comfortable. She tossed and turned for what felt like hours.   
Eventually, Sally became exhausted. Clearly, this wasn't working. The ragdoll sat up against the pillow, sighing and playing with her hair between two fingers. Well, if she couldn't get to sleep, what else was there to do? Sally bit her lip, her mind beginning to drift. A thought suddenly occurred to her. What was she supposed to do tomorrow? The doctor would be furious when he found her missing, and even MORE furious if he found out where she spent the night. But what would she tell him? Should she just...lie? She dropped her hair, letting it drape over her shoulder.   
Sally suddenly felt a little scared. Finkelstein can tell when she's lying. She's not going to get away with this, is she? She looked down, worry sweeping over her. Her heart thumped. 'What am I going to do....?'   
Another thought popped into her head. Maybe she should..tell Jack about this. After all, if anyone could save her from the doctors wrath, it would be him. But Sally pushed that thought away. Jack was upstairs sleeping; she wasn't going to go pest him with her own problems. Not right now. She sighed again, quickly trying to think of any excuse to think about something else. She noticed her throat seemed a little dry.   
'It would be really nice to have a cold glass of water right now...a way to distract myself...and Jack did say to come get him if I need anything...but, No!' She shook her head. 'I won't be bothering Jack tonight, not at all! Especially not for something as simple as a drink of water.'   
She decided then to just get up and get it herself. It can't be that hard, right? It's only water after all.   
She tossed the blankets off of her and slowly stood up. The floorboards creaked a bit under her weight. Sally walked over to the door and opened it, leaving the room quickly and quietly. She made sure to walk as softly as possible. 

But as soon as she entered the kitchen, she turned, smacking directly into something, and falling backwards hard onto the cold ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Tysm for reading!! I apologize for the wait, hopefully it won't take as long for chapter three to come out! Thank you for your patience! <3


	3. Words of Love

Chapter Three  
words of love

" _Sally? Sally are you okay_?"

The ragdoll was lying on the floor, her head pounding furiously in pain. After walking into the kitchen, she had hit something, and fallen backwards. During her fall, she had slammed the back of her head into the counter before hitting the floor, momentarily knocking her out. When she gained consciousness a few seconds later, the first thing she felt was a hand placed on her arm, followed by a voice softly calling her name.

" _Sally? Sally please!_ " The hand on her arm gently nudged her. She stirred, blinking her eyes open slightly. It took a second for her vision to focus, but when it did, she wasn't at all surprised by what she saw. Jack was sitting next to her on the ground, on his knees. He was leaning toward her, trying to wake her up. Worry was plastered all over his features. "Ow..." Sally winced as pain continued to throb in the back of her head. The ragdoll carefully blinked her eyes the rest of the way open.

"Sally!" Jack let go of her arm. "Thank god, you're awake. I am _so_ sorry, are you alright?!" She struggled to sit up, leaning her back against the counter. She rubbed her hand against the bruised spot on the back of her head, hoping to reduce the pain.

"Er...yeah..." She answered, "I-I'm alright..." Jack tilted his head.

"You don't sound very well..."

Sally waved it off. "I just fell, is all. I'll be fine..."

"It looked like quite a nasty fall, though- you seemed to hit your head pretty hard. You're not dizzy are you? Does it hurt?" He looked concerned.

She rubbed her head again. "Of course it...hurts a little, but, I assure you, Jack, I'm fine. And...no, I'm not dizzy." The skeleton sighed.

"...alright.." He stood up, taking a second to smooth out his pajama top before turning back to his injured friend and holding out his hand to help her up. "Please, forgive me, Sally...this is my fault. You crashed directly into me- If I'd have-"

"-No, Jack, It's okay. It's more my fault than yours.." She took his hand and stood up. "If I had been looking where I was going, I wouldn't have ran into you. Even then, It's really not that big of a deal. I'm fine, see?" She turned her head and smiled a little. "If anything, I should be the one apologizing for..bumping into you.."

Jack shook his skull. "Nonsense. I'm not the one who hit my head..." He sighed again. "I'm just...I'm glad you're okay." Sally nodded.

"Yes...I'm fine" she assured him, and she was serious. The pain was starting to fade. Jack nodded once. He looked at her for a moment before asking, "..What were you coming out here for? If you don't mind me asking...." He tilted his head. "It's just that it's..rather late, and, I expected you to be asleep by now, considering how tired you were." Sally blinked.

"Oh! Well..I..." she rubbed her arm. "I've just been..having some trouble sleeping, is all. I just came out to get a drink." she looked back up at him, letting a piece of hair fall over her shoulder. "...what are _you_ doing up?" she asked.

Jack smiled. "Same as you, it seems.." he chuckled. "I was just getting some water myself. In fact, here-" He reached over to the counter and picked up a small glass, already filled with the clear liquid. "I haven't drank out of it yet- so you can have mine" Sally took the cup from him. She felt her cheeks begin to warm.

"Oh..Jack..are you sure?" She asked, looking down at the glass in her hands. It was cold. Jack nodded. "Of course," he answered, walking over to the nearby cabinet. He opened its door and reached inside, pulling out a new glass for himself and then walking back over to the sink to fill it. "Not a problem at all." Sally smiled, biting her lip a bit.

"Well...Thank you..." she said, bringing the cup up to her ruby lips and taking a few sips. It was very cold, very refreshing. Jack watched her for a second, before bringing the cup up and taking his own drink. His was also very cold. After a second, the two both put their cups down. Sally wiped her mouth. It was then that it occurred to her- she remembered the real reason she wanted to come get a drink. Not because she was thirsty- but because she was afraid. All those thoughts about the Doctor came back to her. She had never escaped from the tower for this long before. It had been hours! Worse yet, it was the middle of the night! What was she supposed to tell him when she got back?! She can't possibly come clean and admit that she spent the night in the king's manor! Especially since the Doctor knew about her feelings for him! How would _that_ look?! But she can't just lie! Sally was terrible at lying! The feeling of sickness returned to her stomach. Her face went pale. Finkelstein was going to be very angry. She was scared of him when he was angry. Oh, what was she to-

"Sally?" A soft voice called, cutting off her thoughts.

She looked up. Jack was watching her. He put his cup down on the counter and walked over to her, until he was standing right next to her. He studied her carefully, concern in his sockets. "...is something wrong? You don't look well..."

"Jack....I...." She closed her eyes. As much as she didn't want to bother him with her own problems, she felt as though she didn't have a choice. What else was she to do? Jack was probably the one person who would be able to help her. Besides, it's not like she was going to disturb him- he was already awake, down here with her in the kitchen, asking what was wrong. She sighed. "Yes, Jack...something is wrong..." She kept her eyes closed and her head down. Jack, meanwhile, was frowning.

"Oh, dear...I'm sorry. What's the matter?"

"...Jack..could you...could you come back to the sofa with me?" She asked, looking up at him now. "I really...need to talk to you. And it feels like a more appropriate place..."

The skeleton tilted his head, taking a moment to think. When Sally noticed him hesitate, she added quickly. "-I know, it's late, and I'm sure you'd rather be going back to bed, but...I need your help..."

Jack nodded. "Of course, Sal. I don't mind." He gave her an understanding smile. "I can tell something is bothering you. I am more than happy to help you in any way that I can."

A tiny smile formed on Sally's lips as well. Her face flushed a bit. "Thank you, Jack....that means..so much to me.."

"But of course!" He placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're one of my closest friends, Sally. I'd do anything for you."

She blinked, her face flushing darker. The Ragdoll just stared at him..not sure what to say. Jack spun her around. "Come on, now. Let's get back to the couch, and you can tell me what's troubling you. Okay?" Sally nodded, walking alongside him. She blushed as their arms touched.

" _Yeah_..."

——

By the time they got back to the sofa, Sally felt a little bit calmer. Not much, but better. At least she now felt ready to tell her friend what was causing her so much trouble. She sat down on the sofa, and he sat next to her, turning to face her immediately. "Now..." He started, "...please, tell me. What's wrong?" he tilted his head a bit. Sally sighed, unsure where she should even begin. Jack, noticing her hesitation, continued. "....there's something going on at home, isn't there?" he guessed. Sally bit her lip. After a second, she nodded.

"Yes..."

"I thought maybe...." he frowned. "You don't seem very...happy there. At the tower, I mean."

She shook her head. "I'm not...not very happy at all.." Sally looked down, a sad expression on her face. It pained Jack to see her like this. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "..If you don't mind me asking, why is that?"

".....the doctor."

"What?" He raised a skullbrow. "Doctor Finkelstein? What's the trouble with him?" She turned back to face him again.

"He isn't very kind to me....all I ever really do at home is work and chores. But..that isn't the main problem."

"Then...what is?" She played with her hands nervously.

"He doesn't..let me leave the tower.."

"What? I've seen you in town before-"

"-I'm not supposed to be..."

The skeleton looked a bit confused. "Then...how-"

"I have to sneak out, Jack." She confessed, picking at her nail polish. "I-I'm sorry, I just....I hate being stuck there all the time! It's awful. The tower can get so suffocating. But..he gets mad when I leave like this..so I try not to. But sometimes, I just can't help it.."

"So that's why you didn't want me to take you back?" she nodded as he continued. "...you had run away earlier tonight, hadn't you?"

"Yes..I did. The Doctor had come into my room to yell at me. I got upset and..all I wanted to do was leave."

"Yell at you?" Jack tilted his head. "What for?"

Sally bit her lip, wishing she hadn't said that. Her face flushed. "Oh..uh, it's really...just...the reason isn't really important right now, you know?" she excused quickly.

He looked a bit puzzled for a second, before his expression softened. "I see.." he shook his head. "..This doesn't seem right, Sally. There's absolutely no reason he needs to be keeping you there."

"I know..."

"Would you like me to have a talk with him? I'm sure I-"

"-No!" She shouted. Jack blinked, caught off guard by the way she raised her voice for the second time that night. "Jack, please, don't talk to him about this. He can't know what I've told you. I'll be in worse trouble than I'm already in.."

The skeleton sighed. "Alright, then. I won't." He paused before adding, "..I'm very sorry you have to deal with this. You don't deserve it. You should have just as much freedom as anyone else."

"I know...but it's alright. I'm fine, really. Just..." she looked him in the eyes. "...you don't care that I've been sneaking out?"

"What?" Jack placed a hand on her shoulder. "Of course I don't. If he won't let you out, do whatever you need to. I mean... if you don't escape, I'd never get to see you. We can't have that! You're one of my _dearest_ friends, after all." The ends of his stitched lips curled into a smile as he finished his sentence.

Sally's mouth gaped slightly and the blushing on her face darkened. She couldn't hardly believe what she was hearing. She had expected him to be angry with her when she told him about breaking the rules and disobeying the doctor- or at least, disappointed. But he wasn't either of those things at all. In fact, he was encouraging her. Why? Because he wanted to see her. "Jack, I.." she placed a hand on her face. "..th-that...means so much to me to hear...from you. I don't know what to say...thank you...."

"You're welcome." he nodded. "-and I'm happy to help in any way that I can."

"Oh! That just..reminded me.." She told him, sitting up straight. She had almost forgotten the original reason she wanted to talk to him about this in the first place! She cleared her throat before continuing. "There..ahem...actually is something I need your help with...if you're willing.."

He nodded. "Oh, for sure. Anything for you. What is it?"

Sally looked down, her face still pink but her expression saddened. "Finkelstein will be very angry with me when I go home in the morning. And even more angry if I tell him I stayed... _here_. I just..wanted to ask you if you could maybe..come with me, and try to talk with him? I just hate it when he locks me in my room for so long..." She looked up at him as she finished her sentence. There was a look of understanding in his sockets. "..I just think he'd listen better to you than he would to me. Just explaining..you know...what happened."

Jack closed his eyes momentarily before nodding in response. "You know what? I think you're right. And I don't want you to get in trouble, of course. I'd be more than happy to come along and assist." He smiled. She smiled back at him, all traces of sorrow gone from her stitched face. It made her heart swell to hear him say that.

She knew she was blushing again. "Thank you very much, Jack." She cooed softly.

"No problem."

Sally sighed. She knew she could count on him to be there for her. He was always there for her. As she stared up at the smile plastered onto his adorable skull, another wave of admiration crashed over her. She closed her eyes. "Why are you so kind to me?" she blurted out. Even if it was a strange question, she just needed an answer. It really felt like she didn't deserve him. Jack looked confused.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Sally went back to playing shyly with her hair. "It's just that...ever since you found me outside your home earlier, it's been one kind gesture after the next. I almost feel like I don't deserve it." She gathered her courage to look him in the eyes, scooting a bit closer to him, "..like I don't deserve _you_."

He stared at her for a moment, unsure how to respond. He was tapping the sofa with two of his fingers. He had a strange look in his eye sockets that reflected a 'can't believe what I'm hearing' look. Then, he shook his skull. "Sally, of course you deserve it. I'm treating you the way you should be treated: with respect. You're my most trusted friend, and I care a lot about you." He shifted closer to her until their legs were almost touching. "-You're the most kind hearted person I know, and every moment we spend together is enjoyable. I tend to feel in a better mood when you're around, probably because you're such an easy person to talk to- and I appreciate that very much. You've always listened to what I have to say, regardless of what it's about, whereas everyone else just wants to know about my plans for Halloween or throw compliments at me. But...not you. And that's something I just love about you, Sally." He finished his sentence with a soft tone and leaned towards his friend, without realizing it. Sally leaned in as well, her face was flushed and she looked like she was about to cry from the way his words touched her. "...so, please, don't ever say you don't deserve me. Because you _do_."

"Oh, Jack..." Sally wiped her eyes. "D-Do you...really mean it?"

A wave of adoration for his friend swept over him as he looked at her. She just looked so...cute. Jack was feeling things in his ribcage now. Things he'd never felt before, and couldn't recognize. But right now, he didn't care. Instead, he smiled, letting his eyes go half lidded as he leaned in to give her his answer. "Every word."

For Sally, that was the last thing needed to be said. She felt so much love for this skeleton in her heart, she thought it might explode. She closed her eyes. "You don't know how much that means to me to hear..from you of all people." She reopened her eyes and looked at him half lidded. "I care so much about you as well. I always..love it when I see you. You make me very happy, Jack. Sometimes I..I don't know what I'd do without you..." She closed her eyes again, blushing.

Jack closed his eyes as well. He felt..strange. What was this feeling? It was so new..but exciting! But...what exactly was it? And why was he feeling it right now of all times? 'You know what? Who cares' Jack decided. Whatever this feeling in his chest was, he liked it. It made him feel happy, and for some reason, when he opened his sockets a bit and saw Sally sitting next to him, it grew a lot stronger. There was undoubtedly love in Jack's heart. Even if he couldn't recognize it.

_"I feel the same about you"_

At this point, neither of them were fully paying attention to what they were doing, so caught up in the moment and both their hearts full of emotion. Eyes closed, it only took a second for them to drift closer, and closer, until their lips interlocked.

It sent a jolt of electricity down Sally's back, but her brain hadn't caught up yet and she barely even realized what was happening.

Neither of them did.

After a moment they both pulled away, still dazed. But as soon as they opened their eyes, their expressions of pure love were replaced with complete shock. It only took Jack and Sally a second to realize what just happened.

They just kissed.

They just **_kissed_**.

They both stared at each other, frozen and wide eyed. Sally felt like she was malfunctioning. Her heart was pounding furiously inside her chest and she could feel the flustered heat radiating off her face. Jack didn't feel much better himself. It was probably a full minute before he finally spoke up.

He managed to get full words out, although his tone was slightly shaky. ".....well..I, uh, should be getting back to bed now, I suppose..."

The ragdoll gripped the sofa. "Yeah..." she responded, "I-I guess that's...probably a good idea. I-it's getting late, after all.."

Jack nodded. She noticed he seemed to be avoiding her gaze. The skeleton stood up off the couch and brushed himself off. He took a few steps over to the door and opened it, but paused before leaving.

"...goodnight, then.."

"....goodnight.."

And with that, Jack sighed, leaving the room and shutting the door quietly behind him.

Sally stared into the darkness. She was still trying to wrap her brain around what just happened.

Jack Skellington, the man she's had the biggest crush on for as long as she can remember, had just showered her in compliments- and then she kissed him.

_And he kissed back._

A warm, happy smile spread across her face. She closed her eyes, running her finger along her lips.

_'I actually did it...I actually kissed him...'_

Part of her couldn't hardly believe it. But it was true- she really kissed him.

Sally fell back onto the couch, pulling the covers up under her chin and giggling. Her heart soared.

Maybe she had a chance with the love of her life after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my GOD you guys. This chapter was soooo tricky to write. I deeply apologize for the wait!! Unfortunately now that I'm in school, it might be a little bit longer between chapters. Hopefully not much though! Because I have been finding time to write during free time in class.  
> Anyways I also wanted to say, this story is not over! And I hope you liked that kiss scene,, took me forevverrrrr to figure out how to write it. I really hope it doesn't come off as sudden or feel like it doesn't fit!! I really tried my best.  
> Thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed!! Stay tuned for the next update! <33


	4. Back to the Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sally had breakfast with Jack and then he takes her back home

Chapter Four

Back to the Tower

  
  
  


Sally awoke the next morning to the sound of the skeletal rooster crowing nearby. She yawned, reaching up to rub her eyes which were struggling to adjust to the golden sunlight that was pouring in through the window across the room. For a second, she had forgotten where she was, finding it strange that her blanket was so unusually warm. But it all came back to her rather quickly. She sat up against her pillow slightly, yawning one more time as she attempted to wake up the rest of the way. 

_ ‘Oh, that's right..’  _ she remembered, thinking to herself,  _ ‘I’m still at Jack’s place…Jack...’  _ She smiled even just at his name. Her face tinted slightly pink as she recalled more of last evening- bumping into him in the kitchen, having a talk with him about the Doctor, getting him to agree to speak with him, flattering each other with kind words, and then..

_ ‘He kissed me…’  _

Sally brought a hand up to the side of her face. 

_ ‘Jack Skellington- the one man I’ve been dearly in love with for so long- he really kissed me..! That had to be real, right? It wasn’t some dream..? No...he did. He really did..’  _

She remembered it vividly. 

Surely, this had to mean something, right? Could it really be possible that..Jack was in love with  _ her  _ as well? 

Her smile widened as a new feeling washed over her. Hope.

Maybe she would be able to prove the doctor wrong after so many nights thinking he was right. Maybe she in fact  _ wasn’t  _ crazy for having such feelings for the skeleton. And who knows? Maybe they could end up together after all. 

The ragdoll giggled, standing up off the couch and unwrinkling her dress. She had a feeling today was going to be a good day. Slipping her shoes back on, Sally walked over towards the door. She couldn’t wait to talk to Jack. 

_ ‘I wonder what he might say to me today… he will bring up the kiss right? Surely, he must..’  _ Her mind swirled as she walked down the hallway, her face continuing to blush. 

_ ‘I wonder if he’s awake yet…’  _ she thought, but a scent reaching her nose from the kitchen caught her attention and answered her question pretty quickly. He must be making breakfast. 

Sally found herself hesitating at the kitchen entrance. She had already told herself that Jack kissing her last night surely meant…  _ something _ . But, a part of her still felt nervous to see him again. It made her feel shy. What if she was somehow wrong? Maybe she was thinking too far into it and it really  _ didn't  _ mean anything? She didn’t want to assume… but oh, how could it  _ not _ ? This was a KISS for crying out loud! And not even on the hand or cheek. No. He kissed her  _ lips _ . Yet there was still a little voice in the back of her mind telling her that she shouldn’t jump to conclusions about his feelings.

The ragdoll shook her head to clear it. _ ‘Come on Sally, it’s alright…’ _ she thought, _ ‘Just go in and talk to him. That will definitely give me some answers..’  _ She sighed one last time before taking a breath and pushing the door open, peering into the kitchen. 

Jack was standing over to the side in front of the stove with his back to her, humming. Sally couldn’t see what he was making from where she was standing, but whatever it was smelled really good. She also took notice of what he was wearing, his regular suit pants and white shirt, but he didn’t have his tie or Jacket on. From that she could almost see an outline of his spine, and he had his sleeves rolled up a little bit past his wrists. To Sally, this was just another friendly reminder of how attractive he was. She tried not to stare as she approached him slowly, unsure how exactly she should greet him but doing so anyway.

“Um… good morning, Jack” she called. 

The skeleton was obviously startled by the sudden voice as she noticed his shoulders jolt a little, and he blinked as he turned around to face her. He looked a little bit caught off guard but tried to smile anyway. Strangely, he also wasn’t making eye contact.

“Oh, good morning, Sally..” He nodded once at her before turning around to face the stove again. “...did you...sleep well..?” 

She played shyly with her hands. “Yes, I did… thank you” 

“Of course, and I’m glad to hear that. I know my couch… probably wasn’t the most comfortable place to sleep.”

“Oh, no, It was alright. I still very much appreciate you...letting me stay here and all. Thank you again, for that..”

“Anytime.” Jack glanced down at the food he was making before asking, “Ah, by the way, I’m almost done with this. Would you like some?” 

Only then did Sally notice how hungry she was. It had been awhile since she had a good meal, but then again, she didn’t want to be a bother. 

“Oh.. what is it?”

“A recipe I picked up from the Wolfman, actually. It’s supposed to be a nice breakfast food. Thought I’d give it a try.”

“It smells horribly delicious..”

“Yes, a bunch of different ingredients... though I don’t remember what he said it was called. You’re more than welcome to have some.”

“..Are you sure?”

“Of course. I made plenty.” 

“Well… alright then. Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome. Oh, and, you may have a seat, if you’d prefer. My table is right over there.” Still not turning around, he motioned with his elbow to the other side of the room. Sally looked and sure enough, there was a small, round, wooden table off to the side with a few chairs around it, one of them pulled out slightly. She assumed that was probably the chair he usually sat in. She nodded and walked up to it, sitting down in the next seat over and folding her hands in her lap.

She watched him finish up what he was cooking and begin preparing two plates of food , one for each of them. Sally picked nervously at her nails. Even she could tell there was a bit of awkward tension between the two of them- obviously due to that kiss. 

_ ‘Why hasn’t he mentioned.. anything .. about it yet?’  _ This worried her a little bit. She’d expected for it to be one of the first things he brought up but so far… nothing. It made her feel anxious.  _ ‘It’s a little early…’ _ she told herself,  _ ‘maybe he’ll… speak about it while we’re eating…’  _

She sat up straight as Jack brought the plates over and set one down in front of her. She thanked him again, and he nodded as he placed down his own and sat next to her to begin eating. Sally picked up her fork, scooped some of the strange food onto it and took a bite. It was really good. 

They both continued eating in silence. The ragdoll kept looking over at him, waiting to see if he was going to say something, but he just stared down at his plate and chewed his meal quietly. Every so often he would look up from his food and catch her staring, and Sally would quickly look away embarrassed. It all felt very awkward. Especially since Sally knew he was thinking about it. He had to be… this was kind of a big deal. Besides, why else would Jack be acting this way? He had been acting strange towards her this whole time, and not once looked her in the eye. Could it be that he’s… embarrassed about this? Was that why he wasn’t bringing it up? 

Sally put her fork down as she finished, feeling heat on her face. Suddenly she wasn’t as confident about this as she had been when she first got up. Well… if he wasn’t going to mention it, neither was she. She was too shy, and wasn’t sure where she’d even start. But if they weren’t going to talk about it, then what now? Were they just going to act like it never happened? 

This made her sad. No.. they can’t do that! This wasn’t something that could be ignored. He was her  _ best  _ friend… her crush… and he  _ literally  _ **kissed** her. But for what reason? Was he in love with her? Because if  _ that  _ was the case... Sally  _ needed  _ to know. She wanted answers terribly. 

Turning towards him, she opened her mouth to speak but found no words wanting to come out. So she just closed her mouth and went back to staring at the table while Jack finished up. 

The silence here really wasn’t helping anything. 

——

“If you’ll just excuse me for one moment, I’ll go grab my jacket then we can be off.” Jack spoke. Sally nodded to him, standing by the door and waiting patiently while he slipped into the other room. After they had finished eating, Jack cleaned the dishes and asked her if she still wanted him to take her back home so that he could speak with Finkelstein- which she very much did. She was glad about this, because at least it meant he wasn’t upset with her or anything. Not that he had a reason to be. 

After a second the skeleton reappeared through the doorway now wearing his suit jacket and tie. He walked over to her and opened the front door. It was a little breezy, but the sunlight felt good.

“...After you” he motioned towards the outside with his free hand. Sally did as instructed and walked out the door, thanking him quietly as she passed. Jack shut the door behind them and followed her down the staircase as they began their way to the tower. 

  
  


The walk there was just as awkward as breakfast. Not a single word was spoken the whole way , except for the few people Jack greeted on their way through town. But towards Sally? Nothing. It didn’t help that pretty much everyone who was out today was staring at them. The poor ragdoll’s stomach churned with uneasiness. She didn’t like the attention. 

As nervous as she was when they finally arrived at the tower, she was also a bit relieved. They were going to speak with the doctor now… meaning Jack was at least going to talk. That would get rid of  _ some  _ of this weird tension right? She hoped so anyways. 

The king stepped forward and rang the doorbell. As usual, it let out an ear splitting scream. A second passed before they heard a call from inside the building. 

_ “Come in! The door is open!” ,  _ Finkelstein yelled. __ Jack walked forward and opened the door, holding it for his lady friend. Hesitantly, she walked inside, and he followed right behind her. 

The doctor was wheeling himself down the ramp as they entered, coming to see who his visitors were and what they wanted. 

His face went sour when he saw who it was. 

“Sally…” he hissed. “..You’ve decided to come crawling back, hm?” 

She looked down at the ground. “Well...I-” 

“-You’re in a  _ lot _ of trouble now, do you realize that?” he growled, cutting her off. “All I’m doing is looking out for you, Sally.  _ I _ know what's best. And this is how you repay me? By being disobedient!?” Sally winced as he continued scolding her, embarrassed that Jack was listening to all this. “-Not only did you lie to me and sneak away without asking, but you also left at night! Where have you even been? Where did you sleep!? You can’t keep doing this, you blasted girl! I’m trying m-”

“-that will be quite enough, Doctor.” Now it was  _ Jack’s _ turn to cut  _ him _ off. The doctor blinked in shock, turning his attention towards the skeleton. 

“-Oh, Jack I.. hardly noticed you there. What are you…” he paused. “Were you.... bringing her back?” 

“Yes, I was”

“Then where was she-”

“With me, sir” 

The doctor paused again. His expression grew angry very quickly. 

“With…  _ you _ !?” he looked back at Sally. “Is this true!?” She still had her head hung down and kept it there as she answered. 

“Y...yes..”

“Why!? Sally, you can’t just-”

“I  _ invited _ her in, doctor.” Jack interrupted sternly again. “I found her outside, and she was… too tired to make the walk back here. So I let her rest on my sofa for the night, and now I’m bringing her back.”

“I see…” Finkelstein glared at his creation. “You really didn’t need to do that, my boy. I’m sure she could’ve made it back. It isn’t that far. Besides, you don’t need to be wasting your valuable time on  _ her _ .” 

Jack tilted his head. “I’d hardly call it a waste of time. And it was very late. I just thought it would be better. Though I figured you wouldn’t be too happy about Sally being gone this long- that’s why I’m here.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I don’t think you should punish her, in whatever way… it isn’t necessary.” The skeleton told him, but the doctor didn’t seem to agree.

“She disobeyed me! Of course it’s nec-”

“There’s no need to make a bigger deal out of this than it is, doctor. Yes, she left.. but now she’s back, and she won’t do it again- run away in the middle of the night, I mean. Right, Sally?” 

She looked up from the ground. Both of them were staring at her. “...Right. Of course not. I’m sorry, doctor…” 

Finkelstein winced. Although he didn’t believe her, this was the first time Sally had ever apologized for her actions. He almost felt a little bad for yelling at her so much. Almost…

“Fine, whatever.” , he grumbled. “Sally, I won’t ground you then. Just..  **_don’t_ ** do that ever again. This rebellious behavior needs to stop. You understand?” She nodded. “Good.” 

Jack spoke up again. “Alright, well, I’m glad this was cleared up. I should be going now.” Fink dipped his head. 

“Yes, you should. And.. thank you. For bringing her back.”

“Not a problem.” he turned to Sally. “Um… I suppose I’ll.. see you around then?” 

She blushed. “Yeah… see you..” 

He nodded once to the both of them before turning without another word and leaving. The door swiftly closed behind him.

Sally took a deep breath and looked up at Finkelstein. He still looked a bit mad. 

“I hope you know, Sally, just because Jack felt bad and invited you over  _ once _ doesn’t mean you can go see him whenever you like. In fact, I don’t want you over at his house ever again. Is that clear?” 

Saddened, she nodded. “Yes..”

“Good. Now, go up to your room. I’m done with you for now.”

“What?” she picked at her nailpolish. “But.. I thought you said I wasn’t grounded..!”

“You’re not. But I gave you those books last night for a reason. And since you didn’t want to read them then, you’re going to have to  _ now _ . Head on up to your room and study. Don’t fight me on this.” 

She sighed. “Yes, doctor...” And took off past him up the ramp without another word. 

  
  


The ragdoll sat down on her bed, not feeling nearly as happy or excited as before. Now Jack was gone… but he never said anything about the kiss. No confession. No nothing. In fact, he had hardly spoken to her at all, and when he did, he didn’t seem like himself. Did he really want to ignore this? But… things would be weird if they did. 

_ ‘Oh… what am I going to do…’ _

Sally leaned over and picked up one of her books off the ground. Not knowing what else to do in this moment, she just decided to do as she was told for once. And worry about Jack later. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sincerely apologize for taking so long to get this chapter out! My days have just been so busy and I wasn't feeling good there for awhile. But the next chapter should be out much sooner!
> 
> Chapter 5 is going to switch perspectives for a little while, so we're going to take a look into Jack's mind this time and really get a sense of what he's thinking about all this. So thanks for reading and stay tuned!! <3


	5. A Confession?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack spends a lot of time thinking and decides it would be best to finally meet with Sally so they can have a chat.

Chapter Five

A Confession? 

  
  


“Are you alright, Jack? You’ve been acting a little off this morning..” 

“Hm?” The skeleton looked up from his desk to see the Mayor’s worried face eyeing him thoughtfully. Pulling himself from his thoughts, it took a moment to remember he was in town hall now. He did his best to force a smile. “Oh, yes. I’m fine. Just as dreadful as always.” 

“Are you sure? You almost seem… distracted…”

“Of course not, I’m perfectly focused” Jack sat up straight and collected his papers into a neat pile, before picking up his pen. “See? I’m just.. A little tired is all..”    
“If you say so…” The Mayor shook his head and returned his attention to his own documents, scribbling away at them. Jack sighed. 

Truthfully, he really was a bit distracted this morning. There was a  _ lot _ on his mind, most of it regarding one subject- Sally. 

Ever since the previous night, Jack couldn’t seem to get the ragdoll out of his head. There were several perplexing questions floating around inside his skull that refused to leave him alone. The most prominent of questions:  _ why _ ? Why did he do it?  _ Why did he kiss her? _

As much as he didn’t want to think about it, there really seemed no way around it. But no matter which way or direction he approached the subject, nothing… made  _ sense _ . Jack always had troubles understanding his feelings, but this was frustrating him more than normal. 

The environment he was in wasn’t helping at all, either. The room was too hot and stuffy, and the skeleton found himself repeatedly tugging at his collar. Maybe now would be a good time for his lunch break. 

He stood from his seat and motioned toward the door with his hand to the mayor, who simply nodded. Jack took his exit, left town hall and began to walk home. 

He wasn’t surprised to find a small, glowey pumpkin nose waiting there to greet him as he opened the front door. Zero barked happily as the skeleton reached down to pat him on the head. 

Jack stepped inside and headed straight into the kitchen. Once there, he leaned on the counter and attempted to relax himself. Zero could sense his owner's frustration and gently nudged his leg. The skeleton sighed. 

“Oh, Zero… my ghostly companion. Don’t worry boy, I’m alright.” He told him, The same thoughts from before began drifting back to him, and he pretty much picked up where he left off earlier. 

Jack just didn’t understand it. Why did he say all those things to her last night? Why had he felt the way he did? And most importantly, why exactly did he  _ kiss _ her? Friends don’t exactly just go around kissing each other like that, now do they. There MUST be something here that he’s missing. 

Jack rubbed his skull, mumbling to himself. “Perhaps I’m overthinking this…” 

He moved over to the stove, getting ready to prepare lunch for himself. He hoped that maybe this would distract him a little. But much to his dismay, it didn’t. All he could think of was this morning- how awkward it had been to eat breakfast with Sally. 

_ ‘That’s right… neither of us...spoke about it’  _ he thought,  _ ‘and it’s going to continue to be awkward until we do, isn’t it? You cannot just kiss your best friend and then never mention it again, foolish skeleton.’  _

Jack put down the plate that was in his hands, making his mind up right then and there that he needed to talk to her. Oh, poor Sally… he couldn’t even BEGIN to imagine how she must be feeling right now. He must have put her into such an uncomfortable situation, knowing how shy and reserved she can be. And he felt horrible for it. 

_ ‘All the more reason I need to speak to her..’  _

Jack left his lunch at the counter and walked over to a nearby drawer to pull out a small sheet of paper and a pen. The ink dripped a little down the side as he began to write.

_ Dear Sally,  _

_ ….. _

_ —— _

The Ragdoll yawned as she flipped through the pages of her  _ ‘Scientific Method _ ’ book, only half reading it. Obviously… she had better things on her mind at this moment. 

After Jack walked her back home and she was sentenced to her studies once again, she was instead more or less just trying to relax, keeping her book open in case the doctor decided to check on her at any point for any reason. But it was hard to relax when all she could think about was that  _ one _ kiss with the man she loved so dearly. And god, what she would do to feel his lips on hers again. But.. there were still a few things bothering her about it. 

Where did that leave them now? Surely....this means that Jack must love her back, right? And if that’s the case, they can’t possibly remain ‘just friends’ can they? But if Jack does love her… why didn’t he say so? He said all those things to her last night… about how he enjoyed her company and such… but that wasn’t a  _ real _ confession. Was he just...shy? Embarrassed, maybe? But-

_ Whoosh _

Sally’s inquiries were interrupted by the sound of… paper? Paper, in the wind? She looked over towards her open window. There was a small paper airplane on the ground below it. Confused, Sally walked over and picked it up. She unfolded it right away, her curiosity peaked. She recognized the handwriting before she even read the signature.

_ Dear Sally, _

_ Please meet me by the spiral hill later this evening. There are a few things I wish to speak to you about. I apologize for the short notice, but I hope this will work out.  _

_ Sincerely, _

_ Jack Skellington _

  
  


Sally smiled brightly and held the note up to her chest. Her heat  _ leaped _ . Could it be…? Was this… what she thought it was? Was he  _ actually _ going to admit he had feelings for her? And would she be able to admit it back?? 

She sat down on her bed still clutching the note, and feeling very optimistic. She couldn’t wait to hear what he had to say. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading!! God i feel so bad about the wait on this one lol, especially since its so short :< but Since chapter 6 will be the very last chapter, I can promise it won't take as long!! Especially because I have some real good stuff planned 👀 and it should be longer than this chapter as well!! Will be finally wrapping things up next time so stay tuned :)


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